


Perfect Normality

by messedup



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Jealous Ben, Lazy Mornings, M/M, a little bit family fluff inbetween, nothing too angsty though, reassuring Callum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:34:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23843068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/messedup/pseuds/messedup
Summary: A normal Saturday spent together (including lazy mornings, domesticity and later on some jealousy on Ben´s part)
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 22
Kudos: 95





	Perfect Normality

**Author's Note:**

> This one is for @Smugdendingle! Thank you again for your request <3 Im sorry it took me so long to get to this (Im quite busy lately)! BUT! I tried to include both of your prompts and this is also a bit longer than the fics I usually write, so I hope that makes up for the wait at least a little bit. Hope this isnt too bad!

Callum woke to the warmth of the soft sheets and the morning sunshine on his skin. Feeling the familiar weight of Ben´s arm slung around him, he blinked his eyes open.

It came as no surprise to him to see his boyfriend still fast asleep, face halfway buried against his shoulder.

Ben had always been more of a late riser than him, somehow -inexplicably to Callum- being able to sleep until midday without stirring if not being woken up before by the ringing of an alarm clock. And sometimes even that wouldn´t do the trick and Callum would have to make sure Ben didn´t sleep through most of his work days.

On Saturday mornings, however, their routine was different. Naturally waking up much earlier than his boyfriend, Callum would always let him sleep for a while before waking him up gently, none of the usual urgency or rush overslept mornings brought with them. It was usually followed by another long while before they actually got out of bed. 

Ben had admitted one morning, still half asleep, voice slurred, that this was his favourite part of the week. Hearing those words whispered and seeing him all sleep-soft, letting himself be so vulnerable and open in his still dazed state took Callum´s breath away for a long second. He had been too stunned to give an answer, but Ben had already been snoring again before long and Callum could only watch him and agree in silence. How could he not have if it gave him the opportunity to watch him sleep, breathe calmly in and out in a slow rhythm, and studying his relaxed features without being interrupted by a cocky smirk or joke from his boyfriend.

Callum didn´t know how much time had passed when he finally diverted his eyes, reaching for his phone behind him to quickly check the time. Trying not to wake him -not that that was something he had to be all too careful for- he entangled his hand from his boyfriend´s hair, where his fingertips had circled patterns into his scalp from the moment he had woken up, he gently pulled himself away from Ben´s weight. After taking one more look at Ben Callum quietly got up and crossed the room. He closed the door carefully behind him as he made his way downstairs.

\---

Not even ten minutes went by, Callum pouring sugar and milk into one of the mugs of coffee for Ben, when he felt his boyfriend coming up behind him to sneak his arms around his waist, pressing their bodies together. 

“What are you doing up so early?” Callum looked over his shoulder, his words coming out around a laugh, ticklish at the way Ben´s breath hit his neck as he reached up to press a kiss below his ear. 

“You weren´t there. Came to get you back to bed.”, he mumbled into his shoulder.

Callum let out another laugh as he turned around to face him. “Oh, it´s like that is it?”

“Hmm.”, Ben hummed, pressing a gentle kiss against his lips. Or better, the corner of his mouth, apparently still not fully awake and missing slightly. “It´s Saturday morning. No excuse to be anywhere else.”

Callum couldn´t hold back a smile. Kissing him properly, he pulled Ben in even closer.

“Just thought I´d bring you coffee in bed before you wake up.”

“Hate to break it to you, but it´s a little too late for that.”, Ben grinned before leaning back in. “Still, I appreciate the effort. As long as you hurry up and come back to bed now.” 

Rolling his eyes, but still with an affectionate smile on his lips, Callum picked up the mugs and followed behind Ben who was already halfway up the stairs again.

\---

When they finally made their way downstairs it was almost mid day, but neither of them cared that much. It was a morning well spent after all. Kathy was sat at the kitchen table as Ben walked in to dump their mugs in the sink. She looked up when she noticed him.

“Oh, Ben! Wait a minute!”, she held him back with a hand on his arm as he turned around to walk back into the living room.

“Everything okay mum?”, Ben frowned at her.

“Yeah... just – you couldn´t do me a favour, could you?” She paused, turning more towards him to make it easier for him to understand her. “It´s just were already short-staffed at the Albert tonight and I´m not really feeling well.”

“Mum.”, Ben sighed. “Can´t you ask anyone else? Cal and I already had plans for tonight.”

“I have already asked around. Please Ben.”

“Well, I don´t think I have ever seen you ask Ian for something like this.”, Ben returned, looking at her pointedly.

Kathy only gave him a look that said _Really?_

“Can you imagine your brother behind that bar?”, she asked and okay, maybe she did have a point. They didn´t want to scare away the customers after all.

Letting out another sigh, Ben took a moment to contemplate his answer. Lazy Saturday´s spend together with his boyfriend always were his favourite part of the week – not that he would ever admit that to anyone but Callum. But before Ben could say anything more, he felt his boyfriend stepping close behind him, his muffled voice at his ear. He turned his head to be able to read Callum´s lips.

“It´s okay, don´t worry Kathy. Of course we´ll help. We´ll both be there.”

He smiled at her and Kathy gave a broad grin in return before standing up and coming towards them. 

“Thank you so much boys!”

Ben didn´t have a chance to protest, as she was already halfway out the door again. Instead, he turned in Callum´s arms to glare at him. 

“Come on, the amount of favours she´s done for us.” Ben still didn´t look fully convinced. “All the free breakfasts in the caff. Telling Ian off for his comments. And didn´t she take Lexi when Lo and Jay were away last week and you wanted some time for just us?” Callum grinned as he saw Ben´s resolve slip. It made way to a pout that he couldn´t help but smile at. 

“Just wanted to spend the evening with you.”, he mumbled, barely audible as he looked down at his hands playing with Callum shirt.

Callum cupped his face, the grin on his lips still in place. 

“Well, you will. I said I´ll be there as well, right?”

“You know what I mean!”, Ben rolled his eyes, whining petulantly until he pulled his boyfriend in by his shirt and kissing him deeply. They both sighed into the kiss, pulling at each other to get impossibly closer, before Ben suddenly pulled back again.

“Okay, on one condition.”, he then grinned mischievously. “You wear that dark blue shirt. I need something to keep me entertained at least.”

\---

They spend the afternoon being roped in by Lexi to play monopoly. Even though Lexi was astonishingly good at it, somehow Callum had a few lucky draws, skipping over all the expensive properties and managed to win in the end. The look of disappointment and stubbornness that was mirrored on both Lexi´s as well as Ben´s face made his heart grow fond. They had never looked more clearly like father and daughter. 

It took both of them a good while to stop sulking, but eventually Callum made the peace offering of their favourite snacks and they all ended up cuddled up on the sofa watching one of Lexi´s favourite films. The little girl was sat between them, her head resting against Callum´s side, a bowl of popcorn shared between them, until Ben and Callum had to get going.

When they went into the bar the place was already packed. The music was blaring so loudly you could feel the beat, but the continuous yelling of people managed to overtone it still. Ben skilfully cut his way through the crowd, Callum following his step closely behind, although with a little less grace, bumping into several people on the way. When he finally came up behind him his face was flushed red after apologizing too many times.

Tina was rushing around behind the bar, trying to single-handedly serve the people lined up at the bar in multiple rows by now. She didn´t realize them approaching, too focused on the task, until Ben pulled Callum with him to walk together around the counter.

“Uh, finally!”, Tina let out an exasperated sigh. “If I have to do this on my own for a minute longer you can carry me home.”

Callum smiled and went to greet her with a quick hug as Ben shrugged off his jacket and got to work immediately. He turned to ask a guy for his order and received it along an appreciative once-over that he barely even noticed, used to getting the attention by now but not interested in anything it entailed any more.

They had been behind the bar for just short of an hour, Ben´s eyes drifting towards Callum every now and then, appreciating the way his shirt stretched across muscles as he handed over drinks. Therefore it wasn´t lost on him when a guy leaned against the bar who mustered his boyfriend with the same kind of appreciation.

Callum was just setting down a pint before him when Ben´s focus shifted towards the stranger, reading his lips as he spoke.

“And one for yourself.”, the guy said with a wink.

“Thanks – but no thanks.”, Callum tried to deny the offer as kindly as possible, smiling to soften the brush-off. His back was turned towards Ben though, making it impossible for him to gather his response.

“Oh, come on. You aren´t gonna let me drink alone, are ya?” The guy leaned further across the bar. The sight made something boil inside Ben, making him act on instinct.

“I think its time for a break.”Callum jumped as he suddenly heard Ben´s voice right beside him and before he knew it he felt a tug on his arms. Callum had no time to respond as his boyfriend pulled him a few steps away, off to the side of the bar, almost out of view but still very obviously in sight of the guy who had tried to chat Callum up.

“What are you do-”, Callum started, confused, but his words were cut off when Ben crashed his lips against his. Falling back against the wall from the unexpected force, he felt Ben press up against him.

For a second Callum was taken aback and he needed a moment for his brain to catch up with what was happening, but when he did he couldn´t help but kiss him back despite any confusion. It was messy, all tongues and teeth, yet somehow even more so intoxicating.

Not wanting to break the moment but also still wanting to know what brought this on, Callum pulled back just enough to speak, their foreheads still pressed together. Ben chased his lips, then opened his eyes with a discontent look on his face at the loss of contact.

“Not that I´m complaining – but what´s got into you?“, Callum asked in the small space between them.

Ben shrugged in response. 

“That guy doesn´t seem to get the hint so I thought – nice as I am – I´m gonna help him.“, he smirked.

Callum rolled his eyes, but couldn´t stop the grin from spreading on his face. “You mean you´re jealous?“ 

“Shut up. I´m just being a decent human being.“ He leaned back in to silence him with another kiss. But Callum stopped him with a hand to his chest.

“Oh, needed a change did you?”, he teased for a second but before Ben could throw a quick retort back at him, he turned more serious.“You were jealous, weren´t you?“, Callum looked down at his boyfriend incredulously. It wasn´t much of a question though. Even if the way he had reacted wasn´t already making it obvious, the expression on his face clearly gave him away.

Uncharacteristically as it was for Ben, he didn´t say anything in resonse. He just looked down to avoid his boyfriends eyes.

Trying to reassure Ben, it was Callum´s turn to initiate another kiss. It was a gentle press of lips at first that felt nonetheless just as intense. However, it still didn´t take long for them to deepen the kiss again.

“You know you don´t have to be though right?”, Callum whispered between kisses, glad Ben could read his lips as his words weren´t audible with the music blaring around them. “Only want you.“

The look on Ben´s face as he realized what Callum had said made his knees go weak and he was glad for the way he was trapped between Ben and the wall behind him as Ben surged forward to reconnect their lips in an open-mouthed kiss. 

It might have been seconds, or minutes, or hours passed, Callum didn´t know. Time didn´t seem to exist anymore when all he felt was Ben.

They were only taken out of their little bubble when Tina suddenly came up next to them, exaggeratedly clearing her throat to get their attention.

“I thought you came to work, not to snog each others faces off while I run around sweating blood.“, she scowled at them when they finally looked at her.

“Uh actually we didn´t come to work- we came to help. It´s not like we´re getting paid after all is it?“, Ben retorted. “So I think we´re allowed to take a little break, don´t you?“

Tina let out a groan of frustration. She couldn´t really argue with that.

“Fine!“, she relented, then put a warning finger up at them. “Five minutes though, that´s it!“

Ben grinned at her, biting back a comment about being quick in favour of pulling Callum away and out into the night air without wasting another precious second of their time on meanless chit-chat. It didn´t really surprised anyone that they did not make it back in five.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I would love to hear what you thought in the comments or over on tumblr @stillamess22 :)


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